Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (UK Und., also gauge) a mug holding a quart (2pt/1l) of beer; occas. a pint.

c.1440		Promptuarium Parvulorum (1843) 186/1: Gage, lytylle belle (S. lytyll bolle).
c.1566		Harman Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 83: a gage, a quarte pot.
1592		Groundworke of Conny-catching Ch. 13: These drunken Tinkers, called also Prigs, be beastly people [...] They lays the same to gage, or sell it outright for bene bouse at their bousing ken.
1608		Dekker Belman of London (3rd) C: The Grand Signior called for a Gage of Bowse, which belike signified a quart of drinke.
1611		Middleton & Dekker Roaring Girle V i: A gage of ben rom-bouse / In a bousing ken of Rom-vile.
1637		Dekker ‘Canting Song’ Eng. Villainies (8th edn) O2: In a Bowsing Ken weele cast. There (if Loure we want) Ile Mill a Gage, or Nip for thee a Boung.
1648		Dekker ‘Canters Dict.’ Eng. Villainies (9th edn).
1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 37: [We] tipt to each other a Gage of Booz.
a.1674		‘The Rogues [...] praise of his Stroling Mort’ Head Canting Academy (1674) 20: [as cit. 1637].
1688		R. Holme Academy of Armory Ch. iii item 68c: Canting Terms used by Beggars, Vagabonds, Cheaters, Cripples and Bedlams. [...] Gage, a Quart Pot.
1703		Hell Upon Earth 5: Gage, a Pot.
1741		Canting Academy, or the Pedlar’s-French Dict. 118: Friend, will you spend your two-Pence for a Pot of good Ale? Coll, will you fence your Duce for a Gage of Rum Bues?
1747		Life and Character of Moll King 11: Let me see, [...] a Double Gage of Rum Slobber, is Thrums; and a Quartern of Max, is three Megs.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1821		D. Haggart Autobiog. 58: I gave him a tanner, and desired him to go for a gauge.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.

2. (also gagg) any mug or container.

1608		Dekker Belman of London (3rd) J3: I will lage it off with a gage of bene bowse.
1622		Beaumont & Fletcher Beggar’s Bush III iv: I crown thy nab with a gage of ben bouse.
1641		R. Brome Jovial Crew II i: I bowse no Lage, but a whole Gage / Of this I’ll bowse to you.
c.1698		in B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Gage c. a Pot or Pipe.
1719		A. Smith Lives of Most Notorious Highway-men, etc. (1926) 206: Gage, a pot, or pipe. Tip me a gage, i.e., give me a pot or pipe, or hand hither the pot or pipe.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1754		Scoundrel’s Dict. 18: A Pot or Pipe – Gagg.
1834		(con. 1737–9) W.H. Ainsworth Rookwood (1857) 184: Tip me a gage of fogus, Jerry.
1846		Swell’s Night Guide 50: Fuzzy stewed it [mutton] in a laggingage, and said it was bona mongary.
c.1850		Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict. 140: gage [...] ‘a gage of gin,’ a glassful.
1873		Sl. Dict.

3. (also gagg) a pipe, a pipeful of tobacco.

1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 49: Gage, A Pot or Pipe.
c.1698		see sense 2.
1719		see sense 2.
1725, 1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		see sense 2.
c.1750–1882		B.M. Carew Life and Adventures.
1754		Scoundrel’s Dict. 18: A Pot or Pipe – Gagg.
c.1786		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue ms. additions n.p.: Gage [...] & also a Pipe, as a Gage of Focus.
1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd, 3rd edn) n.p.: Gage of Focus. A pipe of tobacco.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1788].
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1834		(con. 1737–9) W.H. Ainsworth Rookwood (1857) III Ch. v: Tip me a gage of focus, Jerry.
c.1850		Duncombe New and Improved Flash Dict.
1852		Kendal Mercury 17 Apr. 6/1: There’s no covies o the country pad, vot has a brainbox vorth a gage of fogus (pipe of tobacco).
1947		J.W. Arnold ‘The Language of Delinquent Boys’ in AS XXII:2 121: Gage. Any form of tobacco, such as cigars, cigarets, or chewing tobacco.

4. a small quantity; thus a gage of tobacco, a gage of gin.

1864, 1867, 1870

Hotten Sl. Dict.

5. (US Und.) cheap whisky.

1934		J.L. Kuetne ‘Prison Parlance’ in AS IX:1 26: gage. Cheap whiskey.
1936		Bo Carter ‘Fat Mouth Blues’ 🎵 You drink your gage, / You was talkin all out of your head.
1945		L. Shelly Hepcats Jive Talk Dict. n.p.: gage: intoxicating liquor.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 76/2: Gage. [...] 2. Cheap whiskey.